


High Maintenance

by Notadate (sixbeforelunch)



Category: Stargate Atlantis, Stargate SG-1
Genre: F/M, Gateverse - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-01-22
Updated: 2008-01-22
Packaged: 2017-10-07 05:02:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,264
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/61668
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sixbeforelunch/pseuds/Notadate
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"She's a heck of a woman, but a little too high maintenance for my tastes," Lorne said.</p>
            </blockquote>





	High Maintenance

**Author's Note:**

> CN: What the Atlantis writers glossed over and ignored, I made explicit. In other words, there's a passing mention of rape, because Lucius Lavin.

Teyla was off-world when Doctor Jackson finally arrived in Atlantis and brought his wife with him. From her past encounters with Doctor Jackson, she thought the man to be respectful and kind, and she welcomed his input on Atlantis. She had not met Vala Mal Doran, but she found the stories about her to border on the farcical and she looked forward to sorting truth from sordid rumor.

Since she had been engaged in delicate negotiations for nearly a week, she was not aware that the Odyssey had arrived a day early. Her first notification that either of them had arrived was when she passed Major Lorne and Captain Baker in the gate room.

"I don't know if I envy Jackson or feel sorry for him," Baker said.

"She's a heck of a woman, but a little too high maintenance for my tastes," Lorne said.

Teyla paused. "Has Doctor Jackson arrived?"

"Jackson, Vala, and Imelda Marcos' shoe collection."

"Imedla Marcos had a lot of shoes," Lorne explained, just in case Teyla had forgotten her ability to infer.

"And Vala Mal Doran does as well," Teyla said. "Yes, I understand."

"Does she realize that this isn't a social event?" Baker asked and Lorne shrugged.

Teyla nodded to both of them and excused herself. She suspected Vala's presence in Atlantis would be interesting, if nothing else.

\--

"What precisely is 'high maintenance'?" Teyla asked John at lunch.

Rodney didn't look up from his meal. "My college girlfriend. Who takes two hours to get ready to go out for pizza?" He sniffed the bread on his tray. "Does this smell funny to you?"

"It's bread, McKay."

"What? Bread can't smell funny?"

"It smells like bread."

"Smells funny," Rodney muttered.

John leaned over and whispered, "McKay is high maintenance."

Teyla smiled.

"I heard that," Rodney said.

\--

Colonel Carter sighed and dropped her hand back down to her desk. "She's still not answering her radio."

Teyla sat in one of the chairs. After several years it still sometimes felt wrong to see Colonel Carter sitting behind that desk instead of Doctor Weir. "Have you tried contacting Doctor Jackson?"

"He's still off-world. Besides, he gets a little testy when people use him to track down Vala and I'm not in the mood."

"I am sure she will get back to you soon," Teyla said.

"No, I'm sure she just doesn't want to give it back."

The gold necklace had been a loan from the Darasi people, necessary for a mission that Vala had gone on for reasons Teyla was not entirely clear on. Getting Vala to give the necklace back was proving far more difficult than anyone except Doctor Jackson and Colonel Carter had suspected.

"What?"

Teyla realized that she had been smiling. "I heard Vala described as 'high maintenance' when she first arrived. I now understand."

Colonel Carter snorted. "Who said that?"

Teyla hesitated. "It is only something I overheard," she said finally because Colonel Carter and Vala were good friends and she did not wish to see Major Lorne penalized for something that was not meant unkindly.

Colonel Carter did not seem mad, though. "She is. Although Daniel is too, in his own way. It's either why they work so well, or one more reason why they shouldn't work as well as they do. I'm not sure which."

"Perhaps Doctor Jackson will convince her to relinquish her prize when he returns."

"Oh, he could, but he's going to drag out that mission as long as he possibly can to avoid getting involved." Colonel Carter stood up from her desk. "I'm going to have to track her down myself."

She watched Colonel Carter go. Teyla had been right; Vala Mal Doran was proving to be a lively presence.

\--

"Lucius."

"Lucius Lavin."

"Back."

Lorne nodded and addressed Colonel Carter though she was not one of the ones who had spoken. "Yes ma'am."

"And is he taking advantage of a group of innocent but slightly naive villagers by setting himself up as their savior?" John asked.

Lorne just nodded.

"Well, what say we go have a chat with him? Again."

Colonel Carter shook her head. "No, I have another idea."

\--

When Sheppard's team plus Doctor Jackson arrived on the planet three days later, they found Lucius in stocks and Vala Mal Doran sunning herself by a nearby fountain in a rather revealing outfit that Teyla was almost sure she had not brought with her.

Teyla winced when the saw the stocks and the raw red marks at his wrists and ankles. Lucius was a con artist, yes, but it seemed a rather cruel punishment nevertheless. When she mentioned this to Doctor Jackson, he merely shrugged.

"See what you can do," he said. "But he drugged at least six women into having sex with him without their consent. I'm not going to lose any sleep over it."

A shadow passed over his eyes as he spoke, and Teyla decided not to pursue the subject with him. John proved more sympathetic and went to try to convince the villagers to release Lucius into their custody.

Teyla watched Doctor Jackson standing over Vala. "How much and where did you get the money?"

She didn't even bother to open her eyes. "It was a gift. I made some new friends. You like?"

"You were supposed to keep the villagers from getting taken, not turn around and con them yourself."

"What con? A thank you gift isn't a con."

"The dress you can keep. The earrings you're giving back."

Vala did open her eyes then. "Why does no one want me to have nice things? Honestly, between you and Samantha--"

"Yes, she told me how she had to sit on you to get you to give the necklace back to Gera. We need the Darasi people as allies. Stealing their stuff--"

"I was just extending the terms of the loan without approval--"

"You're giving the earrings back."

Vala stood up and crossed her arms. Teyla missed what she said next as John walked up with the magistrate of the village.

"They agreed to release him into our custody. Tell me again why we're bailing this guy out?"

Teyla stayed silent. She did not know herself.

"Anyway," John said. "They're grateful for the help in alerting them to Lucius 'malfeasance' and they're interested in trade, so I guess you're up."

Teyla nodded. "I would be happy to speak to them."

The stocks creaked as the magistrate opened them. Lucius got out with a groan and stood beside them rubbing his wrists. He slapped John on the back. "Thanks buddy. I owe you one."

"Don't mention it," John said. "Ever. Please."

Lucius looked across the way to Vala and Doctor Jackson and shook his head. "Now that's a woman."

Teyla looked over at them. Vala had given up the earrings and Doctor Jackson was explaining to one of the women that gifts were unnecessary, they just wanted to help, but he would be happy to trade with them for the dress.

"You like it," Vala said with a little twirl, after the women had left. "Admit it, you think I look pretty."

"You think she likes me?" Lucius asked. "I think she likes me." Teyla rolled her eyes and she caught John doing the same.

Doctor Jackson reached over and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "I always think you look pretty." Vala grinned. "And I'm trading something of yours away for the dress."

The grin disappeared. "Daniel!"

Teyla smiled and looked at Lucius. "I do not believe you could maintain her even if she did."

fin


End file.
